Apart from experience and depth and breadth of expertise, aspirants for advanced engineering services need to be lifelong learners. They must also show a willingness to unlearn, in line with cyclical changes in technology and relearn to meet the demands of the job.
Essentially, the ability to get closer to core design initiatives will also form a crucial part of their persona. The existing workforce has also realized that they must stay in step with global counterparts or be left out in the long run.
Where is the skill deficit coming in?
According to most estimates, India is churning out nearly 1.5 million graduates every year from 3,500 odd engineering institutes. Government and education sector initiatives are encouraging students to take up STEM subjects.
And yet most reports continue to predict an increasing gap between supply and demand, with global demand expected to reach proportions of nearly 74 percent by 2020. So there is more than adequate supply of and increasing demand for engineers. Where then is the problem?
The solution of ‘make more engineers' preached by all and sundry hardly seems to be working as actual employability of young engineering graduates hovers around a measly 4-7 percent. The fact is apparent in the paradox that India produces as many engineers as technical graduates, while in most developed countries the ratio stands at something close to 1:10.
That ratio is informed by the understanding that engineering is much higher up in the intellectual rung than basic technical profiles since it necessitates critical analysis, evaluation and creativity.
Part of the problem could lie with the outmoded learning culture in institutes that results in insufficient practical experience or industry exposure, little or no encouragement in terms of innovation, rampant lack of soft skills, and poor understanding of the overall industrial landscape. But, in reality, the problem is not that of a shortage of graduates but that of ‘industry-ready' graduates. Most take years after graduation to develop the essential skillsets necessary for an engineering career.
The problem is not only limited to fresh graduates but also to the existing workforce. The gaps between an ever-evolving job profile and basic skillsets have become such that even experienced professionals in the field need to upgrade skills to keep up with industry standards.
Take for example the construction and heavy equipment sector, while engineering is the core to the development of the industry there is an inevitable need for the end to end skill development. The operators in construction & heavy machinery sector have to control the vehicles and perform various construction duties so these operators require proper training to work on these machines. Even the experienced operators of heavy machinery need to keep improving their proficiency due to new technologies while following strict safety guidelines and regulations.
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